LETTER TO THE EDITOR just read Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Rostek’s consolidate the Photo and Graphic Arts sections into a article on Defence Management, “A framework for one-stop, customer-focused Service Centre. This would free up Fundamental Change? The Management Command for operations many military Person Years (P/Ys) currently and Control Re-Engineering Framework” in your being spent on photo and/or graphic arts in an uncoordinated Winter 2004-2005 issue. I read it with particular stove-pipe manner at their parent schools and/or units. I was Iinterest, not simply because I have known Mike for many convinced re-engineering worked. My little study was going years, but because I was an unwitting participant in the grand to liberate a dozen or more military P/Ys and we were ruse that was re-engineering. In the mid-1990s, I was tasked going to become more efficient. to do a re-engineering study of Photo and Graphic Arts services used by CFB Borden and its outlying units. The aim, In the end, the base commander seized upon the fact that I was told, was to make the process more efficient, and, the Base Graphic Arts Section was under-employed, since ultimately, that would save us money and allow us to focus each school was doing its own work of this nature, and he on operations, which in Training Command meant teaching chose to right-size two civilian graphic artist positions. This students. Unbeknownst to me, the base commander at the would reduce his Civilian Wage Envelope (SWE) by perhaps time was not really interested in streamlining and making $100,000 per year. That way, he explained, in an era of more efficient the Photo and Graphic Arts processes. With devolved budgets, he could afford to cut the grass on base. pressure to live within his dwindling means, he was simply Conversely, eliminating or refocusing military P/Ys saved interested in the cost savings part. him nothing. I tackled the task with vigour. I assembled a work group I would like to thank Lieutenant-Colonel Rostek for of stakeholders; I was appointed a mentor who had a civilian succinctly articulating in his cogent paper the sour taste I’ve background in Total Quality Management; I hired an had for so long. My Certificate of Achievement for leading (ex military) consultant; I attended a National symposium on the re-engineering team is framed, but I do not hang it on my Alternative Service Delivery; and toured many CF schools’ wall, nor do I mention it in my CV. and units’ graphic arts sections to learn their best practices. After many months of neglecting my primary duty, of touring Major Pierre M. Royer, CD the country on temporary duty, and of paying the consultant, J5 Plans (KFOR desk) the results were in: We could quite easily centralize and Allied Joint Force Command Naples NATO in Transition: The Impact on Canada Conference of Defence Associations Institute 22 nd Annual Seminar February 23, 2006 Château Laurier Hotel, Ottawa Featuring (among others): The Minister of National Defence, The Honourable Bill Graham His Excellency Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General (Invited) General Ray Henault, Chairman NATO Military Committee General (Ret’d) Klaus Naumann, Former Chairman NATO Military Committee For more information and to register, please see http://www.cda-cdai.ca/AGM_Agenda.htm or contact us at 359 Kent Street, Suite 502, Ottawa, K2P OR7 Tel (613) 236-9903 or e-mail [email protected] National Défense Defence nationale Canada 4 Canadian Military Journal ● Autumn 2005.